Restriction of Enemy Supplies Depart Ment

RESTRICTION OF ENEMY SUPPLIES DEPART MENT, a department of the British Ministry of Blockade created in May, 1916. On the outbreak of the World War, the British Government set up an advisory committee, known as the Restriction of Enemy Supplies committee, to examine and report upon blockade matters. In Sept. 1915, this was merged into the War Trade Advisory committee, in order to co-ordinate the work of the War Trade Department, the Contraband committee, the Restriction of Enemy Supplies committee and the commit tee controlling the export of Coal, Cotton, Rubber and Tin. Neither the Restriction of Enemy Supplies committee nor the War Trade Advisory committee had any executive power. They carried out investigations, examined reports and drew up recom mendations for submission to the cabinet on questions of policy, but the execution of the schemes recommended and adopted con tinued to devolve upon various executive departments. But as the work of the blockade required to be consolidated and brought under a single control in charge of a recognized minister who should be a member of the Government, the Ministry of Block ade was formed in May 1916, with Lord Robert Cecil at its head. A department of that ministry was organized under the name of the Restriction of Enemy Supplies department, with the late Rt. Hon. F. Leverton Harris as director. He was succeeded in Jan. 1917 by Sir William Mitchell-Thomson, Bart. The functions of the department were to bring effective pressure to bear upon those neutral countries situated within the ring of the naval blockade, so as to limit as far as possible their exports to Germany of home products, manufactures and minerals. The department took over the administration of certain agreements which had previously been entered into, and laid before the minister of blockade, for submission to the cabinet, further proposals designed to meet the end in view. When sanctioned, the work of carrying them into effect devolved upon the department.

Practical Work.

The Restriction of Enemy Supplies Depart ment began operations by sending a mission to Holland, the out come of which was an agreement whereby Dutch dairy and agri cultural produce, which, until then, had been going almost entirely to Germany, was thereafter divided in agreed proportions. This result was attained, partly by using the supply of fertilizers and similar commodities as a lever, and partly by employing a system of purchase and bonus. By this means, not only was the quantity of produce available for Germany substantially reduced, but the supply of foodstuffs to Great Britain was materially augmented.

Between Aug. 1916, and Dec. 1918, the amount of dairy and agri cultural produce diverted from Germany came to nearly 200,000 tons and, in addition, the non-export from Holland of certain im portant commodities was secured. The department also con cluded agreements with the Dutch trawler owners and the Dutch herring drifter owners, in order to restrict the export of fish to Germany. It is computed that not less than 4o,000 tons of her rings and 24,00o tons of trawl fish were prevented from being exported to the enemy. In the course of time, owing to the losses sustained by the Dutch trawlers by submarines and mines, the amount of fish available for export from Holland diminished, until it became a negligible quantity.

As regards Norway, the department took over from an earlier committee the administration of an agreement which had been in operation, and they also made a new agreement with the Nor wegian Government by which only 15% of all fish and fish oil landed in Norway could be exported, and even that quantity was subject to conditions rendering the export difficult. A staff of British employees was organized throughout Norway to control the operations of the agreement. A total of nearly 330,00o tons of herrings, salt fish, fish oil, etc., was diverted from Germany. In view of the supreme importance to Germany of steel harden ing material, particularly in connection with high-speed tools, the department also obtained the control of practically the whole of, the output of molybdenum from Norway.

The department also successfully carried out the salvage of cer tain extremely valuable supplies of tin, copper, ferro-tungsten and nickel destined for Russia, which were lying derelict along the Fin nish frontier, and which were in danger of falling into enemy hands. In the case of Sweden, the department was able to secure the total prohibition of the export of fish to Germany, and, later on, the prohibition of the export of mica.

Under the arrangements adopted in the case of Denmark, up wards of 16o,000 tons of bacon and eggs were exported to the United Kingdom up to October, 1917. Earlier in that year, all fodder and feeding stuffs were stopped from going to Denmark and Holland and thereafter the export of dairy produce in any direction from both those countries fell off rapidly. (C. J. Hz.) See also BLOCKADE; RATIONING OF NEUTRALS (BLOCKADE).